Wednesday 31 August 2011 12.29 EDT
First published on Wednesday 31 August 2011 12.29 EDT

Preamble Evening all. Andy Murray's first-round grand slam opponents tend to be even less well known than your average transfer deadline day signing, so here's your handy cut-out-and-keep guide to Somdev Devvarman:

The 26-year-old Indian is ranked 64 in the world … His form since winning Commonwealth gold last year has been shaky, and he has nine opening-round defeats to his name in 2011 … He's never played Murray before, but he did come across the Scot's hitting partner-come-coach, Dani Vallverdu, on the US college circuit, so Murray will have plenty of pre-match intelligence … Talking of intelligence, he has a degree in sociology … He's based in Texas, where he regularly practises with Andy Roddick … And according to Wikipedia at least, he's related to the Indian state of Tripura's royal family.

And while we're at it, here's your handy cut-out-and-keep recap of what Mr Murray's been up to since Wimbledon:

He played Davis Cup for the first time in nearly two years and shed a few tears after Britain's win over Luxembourg … He then took some time off, before having a shocker in Montreal where he lost his opening match to South Africa's Kevin Anderson … He came back in Cincinnati, becoming only the second player to beat Novak Djokovic this year when the world No1 retired injured in the final … And at some point during all of this, he did a Djokovic and gave up gluten, saying he now feels in the shape of his life.

We were hoping Murray would be on Arthur Ashe at around 6pm BST, but someone forgot to tell Vera Zvonareva. Last year's finalist is into a final set against Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko, having led by a set and a break. The winner there will play Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues in round three, who was too strong for Britain's Laura Robson today, beating the 17-year-old 6-2, 6-3. Still, there's much for Robson to be pleased about this week, having come through qualifying to play in the main draw for the first time.

6.07pm At least Zvonareva is now doing the decent thing, and is 4-1 up in that decider. Meanwhile some more good news for Murray: his potential quarter-final opponent Robin Soderling was earlier forced to pull out before his match against the Irish qualifier Louk Sorensen because of illness. Not that it's helped Sorensen, he lost the first set against lucky loser Rogerio Dutra da Silva 6-0. Ouch.

6.27pm At last, Zvonareva wraps up a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win, so hopefully Murray will be on court quicker than it takes you to dive into our transfer deadline day blog, check out the latest from the cricket and come back to keep me company. I'm off for a pre-match banana and energy drink.

6.40pm The players are out, so it's time to talk tactics. I haven't seen Devvarman play recently, but from what I remember he's a fairly defensive player who likes to wear down his opponents, much like Murray. But Murray can do it better. And has bigger weapons. It's difficult to see anything other than a straight sets win.

Tok, tok, tok, tok, tok, tok, they're warming up. Murray has ditched his usual blue and white ensemble, instead opting for an outfit that would be dangerously similar to the colours of the St George's flag, but for the black shorts and socks. And why not take a look at this James Blake 125mph thunderbolt of a return to get you in the mood for some tennis.

Murray 0-1 Devvarman* (*denotes next server)A sense of things to come on the opening point, as a lengthy exchange unfolds. Murray eventually ends up dumping a backhand into the net, before throwing in another unforced error to slip 0-30 down. And another. Make that 0-40. A rocket of a first serve out wide saves the first break point, a cheeky drop shot the second and a wild return from Devvarman (I may call him SD from now on to prevent the onset of RSI) the third. Deuce. Advantage Murray. Deuce. Advantage SD (after a wonderful exchange). And a Murray error hands his opponent the break. SD has already shown what he's about: he'll chase everything down and is very strong defensively.

*Murray 0-2 DevvarmanI should probably have got myself more than a pre-match banana and energy drink, these points are taking a while. SD isn't showing too many nerves at the moment, and is executing his game plan very well. Murray takes him to deuce, but that's as far as the world No4 gets as SD consolidates the break. Cue a slightly anxious glance to the Team Murray box.

*Murray 1-3 DevvarmanSD's strength might be scampering around defending from the back of the court, but he's been charging forward a fair few times so far, and is looking solid at the net. Despite that, Murray forges his way to his first break point, but SD fends it off with an improvised smash. And another smash gives him the game.

Meanwhile on a completely unrelated note, whether SD does indeed have royal blood or not (see preamble), it's got me thinking about other sportsmen/women with royal connections. Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall spring to mind. Any other suggestions? Let me know ...

Murray 2-3 Devvarman*Murray once again holds in the blink of an eye with some punishing hitting. Since being broken in the opening game, he hasn't lost a point on serve. So promising signs that Murray is getting into his serving rhythm, he now needs to find a way of dealing with SD in the baseline exchanges.

*Murray 3-3 DevvarmanAt 30-15, SD has most of the court to aim into after drawing Murray into the net, but directs his backhand well out. A second double of the day brings up break point, 30-40. Murray miscues. Deuce. SD unleashes a thunderbolt of a backhand down the line – the shot of the match so far – but it's in vain as Murray eventually breaks on break point No4 of the match as SD doubles again. We're back on serve.

Murray 4-3 Devvarman*Plenty of oohs and aahs from the Arthur Ashe crowd at 30-0, as a game of cat and mouse eventually ends in SD dispatching a smash. But that's about as good as it gets for the Indian, as Murray puts away an inside-out forehand and, despite throwing in his first double fault of the day, takes the game to 30. Murray is ahead for the first time in the match. SD's resistance looks like it's finally cracking. Murray meanwhile shows off his best steely determined glare.

*Murray 4-4 DevvarmanI might have jumped the gun there. SD holds to 15, and it all happened rather quickly. Back to Mr Murray ...

Murray 5-4 Devvarman*What a point at 15-0 with the two players jumping, spinning and pirouetting all over the place. I'll give them a 9.5/10 for artistic content. SD comes out on top to make it 15-all, but Murray nonchalantly dispatches a bruising forehand winner and lets rip with a running forehand down the line, to leave the Indian needing to hold serve to stay in the set. For all of SD's effort and endeavour, the world No64 doesn't quite have the power to go toe-to-toe with the world No4.

*Murray 5-5 DevvarmanWith the set in the balance, SD holds comfortably, again to 15. Though he was helped by some sloppy play from Murray. And look, an email, as Gary Naylor shows his age: "Murray v Devvarman? That's not a tennis match, it's a 1974 episode of Dr Who."

Murray 6-5 Devvarman*Murray fires down his second ace of the day, once again forcing SD to hold serve to stay in the set. Meanwhile over on Louis Armstrong, the 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro has just taken a two sets to love lead against Filippo Volandri. For me, the Argentine is definitely the player to watch outside of the top four this fortnight. Mardy Fish, winner of the US Open series, has had a great build-up, but he doesn't have the pedigree when it comes to the grand slams.

Murray 6-6 DevvarmanMurray has a sniff at 15-30, but fails to get a couple of fairly routine balls back into play. 40-30. A punishing backhand down the line sets up the next point for him, and it's deuce. SD wallops down a smash – one of several he's hit today – and claims the game after successfully appealing to Hawk-Eye when an ace was called out. So a tie-break will decide the opening set. Murray's record in tie-breaks this year? He's won nine and lost three.

Murray wins the opening set 7-6 (7-5)A lazy shot from Murray gives SD the first mini-break, to go 3-1 up. But Murray rattles off the next five points to charge 6-3 ahead - bringing up three set points after almost 70 minutes of play. SD saves the first two on his serve, and looks like he's going to repeat the trick on Murray's serve, before dumping a forehand into the net. The Indian really had an opportunity in that rally. But it's Murray who gets the first set on the board, and you'd expect him to now come through the next couple of sets fairly comfortably.

*Murray 7-6, 1-0 DevvarmanAh, the sweary side of Andy Murray. After just about finding the space to hook a forehand down the line to take the first point, he screams "DAMN IT" after conceding the second. He follows that up by whacking his racket into his foot and shouting "BULLSH*T, play your game" on the third. Another monologue ensues as SD moves 40-30 ahead, but then Murray goes all mute and that seems to do the trick. He rattles off the next three points to break. Let that be a lesson.

Murray 7-6, 1-1 Devvarman*For a brief moment, Murray looks like he's going to pull off a trick at 15-0, as she scampers back from the net to retrieve a lob. But he can't quite slot his backhand down the line. A sloppy backhand slumps into the net to give SD a break opportunity at 30-40. And he throws in a double fault to hand the break straight back. A horrible game that from Murray, just when he would have been hoping to take a stranglehold on the match.

*Murray 7-6, 1-2 DevvarmanMurray somehow manages to charge down a pretty irretrievable-looking lob, catching SD unaware, who dumps his next shot into the net. Great defensive play from the Scot. A few points later and it's 30-40, but Murray can't capitalise on the second serve. And SD goes on to hold. Meanwhile Sky put up a little graphic saying that SD has covered 2.19km during the match so far, Murray 2.21km. How do they know this? As far as I can figure out Murray doesn't have a pedometer strapped to his ankle braces.

Murray 7-6, 2-2 Devvarman*Murray holds to 15, finishing things off with a lovely slice right into SD's forehand corner. And news on an impressive win for Juan Martin del Potro: he's come through 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 against Filippo Volandri, his first match in New York since winning in 2009, after injury prevented him from defending his title last year. And with Del Potro in Murray's quarter, that could be ominous.

*Murray 7-6, 3-2 DevvarmanMurray breaks to love, but I must admit I was reading up on Del Potro's win so didn't really see too much of it. I can tell you he rounded it off with a backhand winner down the line. But that's about it.

Murray 7-6, 4-2 Devvarman*Murray back pedals well to bury a smash at 15-all, and forces his way through the game with some strong serving. Can he now really push on in this set, having finally put some daylight between him and SD? Meanwhile of more importance, is there anyone out there tonight apart from Mr Naylor? I have a feeling with the transfer (non)shenanigans and cricket going on probably not. Ah well.

Murray wins the second set 6-2Murray in full control now, and he can even afford to throw in a showboating through-the-legs shot and double fault, before wrapping up the second set as SD goes wide. After taking 70 minutes to force his way through the first set, the second finishes in half the time. And an email. Hurrah! Oliver Pattenden kindly confirms there are at least two people reading this game-by-game. "Using this new internet innovation known as 'tabs', I've been very efficiently following the tennis, the cricket and the transfer non-shenanigans all at once whilst managing to avoid my actual work entirely. If only I could find some way to drink here as well, work wouldn't be so bad after all."

*Murray 7-6, 6-2, 1-0 DevvarmanA inside-out forehand from Murray gets him to deuce, the power he's been generating off that wing today certainly bodes well for the fortnight ahead. He then wallops another forehand missile - this time down the line – and that's his sixth game in a row. SD's energy levels have definitely faded, by all accounts it's pretty hot out there too.

Murray 7-6, 6-2, 2-0 Devvarman*Some profanities from Murray at 30-all and an exchange with the umpire Carlos Ramos, but he responds with his fastest serve of the day. And Marlon Cameron's on board too: "Make that Three Musketeers following Andy's misadventures as rendered by your hand, Katy – this one from Moscow, three hours ahead of you and eight or so of the action. Here's hoping the third set takes half as long again so I can get some kip ahead of a(nother) 12 hour day ..."

*Murray 7-6, 6-2, 3-0 DevvarmanMurray is striking the ball so well now, with Mark Petchey helpfully informing viewers that his average ground-stroke speed is now up from 72mph to 80mph (Murray's that is, not Petchey's). 15-40, two break points. But SD still has a few tricks up his sleeve at the net and manages to stave them off. He can't make it three in a row though, and Murray's in total command. Meanwhile it seems that Venus Williams has just pulled out of the tournament, which means a walkover for the Wimbledon semi-finalist Sabine Lisicki, in what could well have been the match of the day ...

Murray 7-6, 6-2, 4-0 Devvarman*... it's a real shame that for Venus, who's only played about three tournaments since last year's US Open because of injury. And at the grand old age of 31, it's not getting any easier for her to come back. Murray holds by the way, but you probably expected that. That's now nine games on the spin.

*Murray 7-6, 6-2, 4-1 DevvarmanSD stops the rot, but is only delaying the inevitable. Apparently it's an illness that Venus is suffering from. Add that to Robin Soderling's withdrawal, and I forgot to mention earlier that Ireland's Louk Sorensen ended up having to quit his match too, they're dropping even quicker than it's taking Murray to rattle through a service game. Plus there was Conor Niland emptying his guts before he went on court yesterday, before having to retire against Djokovic.

Murray 7-6, 6-2, 5-1 Devvarman*Right, back to the tennis. Some more forehand hammers from Murray and he charges through to 15. "Three Musketeers had a tag-along, I believe," says Kathleen McKenna. "Good work, shame there wasn't anyone doing a blow-by-blow of Heather Watson's sterling effort. Why does A. Murray get all the glory? He's a whiner (complaining about order of play) and a choker (Grand Slams passim)." I think the Guardian suits will mumble it's something to do with budgets, Kathleen. But don't tell them I said that.

*Murray 7-6, 6-2, 5-2 DevvarmanSD comes through to 30, making Murray serve for the match. Meanwhile the eighth seed Marion Bartoli has just lost to America's Christina McHale. With the last two women's grand slam champions also out – the French Open winner Li Na and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova – and Kim Clijsters not able to defend her title, things are already opening up rather nicely for Serena Williams.

Murray 7-6, 6-2, 5-3 Devvarman*Murray blinks and finds himself 15-40 down, but rediscovers his range with some more relentless hitting on the forehand side to bring up match point at advantage. He can't resist showing off with a drop shot, but it slides into the net. And then he thumps another two balls into the net. SD breaks. And my dinner will have to wait.

Murray wins 7-6, 6-2, 6-3Murray must have heard my stomach rumbling as he charges 0-30 ahead. He then brings up another two match points at 15-40. This time SD scoops a forehand long, and Murray comes through in just shy of two and a half hours. After a slow start, he'll take that. And the aggression he showed on his forehand has to be the biggest positive to come out of the match. If he can keep that going over the next fortnight, he may just have the artillery to fire down Djokovic and Nadal. Next up will be the Dutchman Robin Haase on Friday. We'll have a report on the site shortly from our man in New York, Kevin Mitchell. Thanks to the Four Musketeers and see you soon. I'm off to find out who Arsenal haven't signed. Bye.